NewYork.Mets.com

By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com

Keith Hernandez tries not to play with teams in Strat-O-Matic that he played for in the Majors. (Wilbur Funches/AP)

The Phillies collapsed, cementing Gene Mauch's place in baseball history, the Cardinals won the World Series and one of the game's greatest pitching eras was in full swing. As an 11-year-old, Hernandez was still more than a decade away from starring at first base for St. Louis.

Yet, his interest in 1964 is now greater than ever, thanks to Strat-O-Matic Baseball, the decades-old game that has captivated baseball fans for generations. Hernandez, 49, is now a broadcaster for the Mets, but hasn't limited his interest in the game to what's happening on the field. He and fellow Mets broadcaster Howie Rose are hooked on Strat-O-Matic, having spent countless hours playing the game, recreating some of the seasons of their youth.

Hernandez is playing the 1964 National League campaign, game-by-game, on his computer while Rose is busy trying to get the '71 Mets to the postseason. Both played the game as youngsters before putting it on a shelf. Rose, however, began playing the game in the late '80s while working as a host for WFAN radio in New York. Hernandez recently rediscovered the game through Rose and Strat-O-Matic's Steve Barkan.

"I always saw the ads for the game in Street and Smiths when I was kid," Hernandez said. "So in 1971 I sent away for the National League and I hadn't played since that year. When I played in 1971 I got through maybe 124 or 125 games of the schedule with complete stats. Then I went to my first Spring Training in 1972 with the Cardinals and I brought the game with me.

"My dad knew I was going to do it. And when I got there I couldn't wait to get into my luggage. I reached into my bag and there was no game. I was devastated. I called my dad and he laughed his butt off. He told me, 'You concentrate on playing baseball.' "

Hernandez and Rose are still concentrating on baseball, but the game has taken on a new front. The idea of managing a club, like the '64 Cards or the '71 Mets, is appealing and the realism of the game -- you can actually determine when a pitcher is becoming fatigued -- makes it more than just a matter of rolling the dice and seeing what happens.

Rose's love for the Mets is legendary in New York. He grew up in the Big Apple and has been following the team since he was a kid. Rose has spent time playing several Mets teams throughout their history with varying degrees of success. He replayed the 1966 Mets season and, like that rag-tag bunch, won 66 games.

"I guess I'm just a latter day Wes Westrum," Rose quipped, referring to the former Mets skipper. "From there I played the '69 Mets but I couldn't get them home. I think I won 91 or 92 games. I replayed the '70 Mets and won the division, but got swept by the Giants. I couldn't get the '73 Mets home either, so now I'm trying '71.

"One thing I don't want to do, with the exception of the '69 team, is play teams I know. I don't want to play the '86 team or manage other guys that I might see later that night at the park. I can see myself going into the booth and saying, 'Keith, you popped up in a big spot.' "

Hernandez says he has all the teams on which he played, but doesn't go to them much.

"I have all my teams and I played a couple of games from '79 and '82," he said. "But I was just monkeying around. The game is so realistic, though. The '64 Mets stink. They have no pitching or defense. But [Juan] Marichal and [Sandy] Koufax go nine innings and never get tired. It's pretty amazing. Vern Law and Don Drysdale, they never get tired either.

"It all works out pretty well. There aren't a lot of stolen bases. Maury Wills, Lou Brock and Tommy Harper steal but otherwise there aren't a whole lot of steals. It's fun and I figure what the heck, give it a try. Its kind of fun to manage."

The Strat-O-Matic board game sells for $45 while the computer version retails for $55. Each are basic games and have add-ons. The computer version of the game has a disk for every season from 1901.

"It's a more popular game with the older age group," Barkan, 53, said. "Younger kids are into the glitzy games like EA Sports and X-Box stuff. It's still popular among our generation who are bigger baseball fans. It's more stats oriented than bells and whistles. It's still a very popular game. It's been here for more than 40 years."

And with enthusiasts like Hernandez and Rose keeping the game alive, it could be here for 40 more.

Kevin T. Czerwinski is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.